MONTPELIER — The Republican gubernatorial hopeful considered to be the candidate of the Vermont party establishment said Tuesday he would not attend an Essex debate with three other candidates seeking the nomination in next week’s primary.

Scott Milne said Tuesday he had been invited to attend the debate sponsored by the Essex town Republican committee, but he chose not to go.

“They are going to be working against the Republican Party and the nominee after the primary, so it didn’t make sense to go,” Milne said of the other candidates seeking the GOP nomination.

Steve Berry and Emily Peyton are the other GOP candidates on the primary ballot. Libertarian candidate Dan Feliciano is also mounting a write-in campaign for the GOP nomination. The three of them will attend the debate, said Ron Lawrence of the Essex Republican committee.

Gov. Peter Shumlin has said he won’t begin his re-election campaign until after Labor Day.